Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Balsas.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Balsasxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new high-yielding cut flower Chrysanthemum cultivars with attractive ray and disc coloration, good inflorescence form and substance and good post-production longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 1999, in De Lier, The Netherlands, of the Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Sheba, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium selection identified as 748A 1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent.
The cultivar Balsas was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in August, 1999. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence coloration and good form and substance.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since January, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced Balsas to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Balsas have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Balsasxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Balsasxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright cut Chrysanthemum that is usually grown as a natural spray.
2. Freely flowering habit, about 19 inflorescences per flowering stem.
3. Daisy-type inflorescences.
4. Attractive red purple-colored ray florets.
5. Response time about 51 days when grown at 18xc2x0 C.
6. Dark green-colored foliage.
7. Strong flowering stems and peduncles.
8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sheba. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Sheba in the following characteristics:
1. Flowering stems of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were shorter than flowering stems of plants of the cultivar Sheba.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had stronger flowering stems than plants of the cultivar Sheba.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Sheba.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Sheba.
5. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were red purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Sheba were white in color.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Flowering stems of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were longer than flowering stems of plants of the male parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences than plants of the male parent selection.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Splendid Reagan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,205. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Splendid Reagan in the following characteristics:
1. Flowering stems of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were longer than flowering stems of plants of the cultivar Splendid Reagan.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three days earlier than plants of the cultivar Splendid Reagan.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more tolerant to low production temperatures than plants of the cultivar Splendid Reagan.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Lineker, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Lineker in the following characteristics:
1. Flowering stems of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were shorter than flowering stems of plants of the cultivar Lineker.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences with larger discs than plants of the cultivar Lineker.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Lineker.